Category: Trip Reports
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California Alpine & Low Country Boils
This post is retroactive. All events took place on Memorial Day weekend 2021. A half-written post sat in my drafts folder for almost a year, so it’s now time to finish! I was highly emotional… Read more
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Grinding the Grouse Grind
This post is highlighted by Your Daily Word Prompt – a random word on a random website designed to spark creativity! Today’s word is grouse! I’m doing a look back on the climb of my… Read more
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A motorcyclist marked by Covid
This post is a follow-up to my first pandemic post: It’s ok to say “I’m hurting”. Talk to any seasoned motorcycle rider, and you often hear the phrase “There is cold, and there is cold… Read more
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On Winter Riding
If I’m honest, there’s definitely a part of me that has been feeling the winter blues. For the last 3 to 4 weeks here in Northern California, it’s been cold, wet, and cloudy just about… Read more
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Returning Sonora
After a night in Bishop, I realized I wanted an additional day up here in the Sierras. The air quality was fantastic, and being up here lifted my spirits and so many ways. I was… Read more
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Revisiting Yosemite
It’s hard to believe it’s already September. The summer has flown by! In many ways, the pandemic has messed with my head. In particular, the long stretches of stay-at-home due to the virus, the fires,… Read more
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Turning Left on Highway 20 East
WordPress, the software that powers this blog, has a small folder called “Drafts.” The drafts folder contains thoughts that got started but were not quite finished. Some of those posts sit days. Some of them… Read more
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Old Stories; New Beginnings
My bike has been in the shop for almost a month. Having just rolled over 12,000 miles, the Beemer needed its thousand dollars of love. That includes a major service: oil, valves, and a whole… Read more
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North Coast Loop
After a glorious ride down the Sierra Nevadas, I was ready for a bit more. I spent the middle of the week catching up on life here in the Bay Area and wanted to get… Read more
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Almost Heaven; California!
This post is a continuation of the ride: Trekking for Givi Luggage Here I am sitting at the corner of US 395 and US 50 in Carson City, Nevada. I had a decision to make: do… Read more
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Trekking for Givi Luggage
Hard luggage was a game-changer in my motorcycling passion. On my first bike, the Vulcan, I would always have to struggle with various backpacks, duffel bags, and other zippered luggage when leaving the motorcycle. Soft… Read more
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Hiking in March
In mid-March, my neighbor and I were sitting in his driveway, shooting the breeze. We covered all sorts of topics: current events, the stock market decline, what’s going on at home, etc. I posted that… Read more
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Sunset at Acalanes
A colleague of mine at work today asked what platform powered my blog. That’s easy: WordPress. He was looking for a solution to share photos outside of the social network. That got me thinking. Sometimes… Read more
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FS-96 MRR: Mosquito Ridge Road
Time is a blur these days. As one who regularly travels, I usually segment time in blocks of “at home” or “on the road.” Since October 25, 2019, I’ve spent just about every night in… Read more
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Back to the Peninsula
Going out during the coronavirus pandemic still feels a bit weird to me. I’d been putting off vacation as I wondered what I would do with a day of vacation sitting at home. In many… Read more
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T1D Biker Gang
This Memorial Day weekend in the age of coronavirus was anything but typical. Usually, I’m off on the motorcycle somewhere in the Sierras chasing the ebbing snow. With the continuing sheltering in place order except… Read more
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#eastCounty
We hardly ever get rain in May. This past weekend two crazy rainstorms swept through town Sunday and Monday, leaving the air perfect for motorcycle riding! Now that riding ATVs is legal in the state… Read more
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Sweating Lafayette’s Ridge Trail
With coronavirus slowing my life down to a very long, quiet pause, I’ve been taking the time to walk – a lot. I normally hike the ridge near my house. It’s a 3 to 4… Read more
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Springtime Moto Poppies!
Typically Mount Diablo is my go-to motorcycle ride what I need to clear my head. With the park closed, I’ve had to look at other places for my motorcycle quick fix! The late Robert Bleeker… Read more
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Hanging out at Hawk Hill
One of my favorite stretches of pavement in the bay area that nobody’s ever heard of is Conzelman Road. It’s the little ribbon of pavement that snakes up the Marin Headlands for an outstanding view… Read more
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I took the road less traveled…
Four years in I’m still learning the back roads of Contra Costa and Alameda counties. November and December were really wet months. January was cold and I was traveling for a good portion of it.… Read more
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Autumn Through the Kitchen Window
One of the joys I love most about traveling to Vancouver is that the weather is so often radically different. I love enjoying what makes each season special a bit longer. In the morning as… Read more
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Motorcycles and Mindspace
Surprisingly it was very hard to get a room in Bishop two months out. I wound up at the Trees Motel which just wasn’t a good fit. It was a long walk to the restaurants… Read more
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Transitioning to Fall
The Queer Biker Invasion of Death Valley, or QBIDV for short, is a hallmark tradition in the LGBTQ culture here in the West. The ride originally started 26 years ago when Michael wanted to publish… Read more
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Mount Diablo – Fits like a leather glove!
When I was living down in the valley, I’d heard lots of things about “Highway 9”. It had a reputation for crashes when guys would get too throttle happy. It was usually packed on the… Read more
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Working in the Wine Country
A few times a year we gather as a leadership team for annual planning. I’m always thrilled when it is located in San Francisco. Usually, we are up in the wine country. This year we… Read more
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Sunrise on Mount Tam
This winter seemed to go on forever. We’ve had a lot of rain which I am thankful for, but this Californian definitely loves the sun. This year Easter came late, April 21 to be exact.… Read more
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The Gateway Arch
I love traveling to cities with well-known landmarks. St. Louis is no exception. The last time I was in Missouri was about 10 years ago on my cross-country motorcycle trip. I only touched the extreme… Read more
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Easter Sunrise
Easter Sunday affords one of the most unique rides in the bay area. This ride started in the mid-1980s by a couple of hard-core vintage motorcycle riders and some good friends within the California State… Read more
